Fundraising

Our fundraising strategy explores diverse avenues in fundraising such as individual donors, corporate partnerships, foundation grants, and volunteer leadership.

Financial

  • Evaluate your program’s sustainability and assess if we need to start a new program.
  • This includes looking at financials and your long-term sustainability. 
  • Create goals and metrics for financial sustainability.
  • Create a plan to diversify your fundraising stream to sustain your operation. 

Operational

  • Evaluate your dedicated staff, board involvement, and volunteers to see what resources are needed to implement the plan.
  • Establish systems, processes, and deadlines to execute the plan.
  • Implement the current plan with weekly accountability.
  • Conduct training for the staff, board, and volunteer leadership.
  • Measure the return on investment and go over the next steps.

Technology

  • Evaluate current donor management system(s) to efficiently target donors.
  • Recommend the best donor management system for the organization.
  • Create a process for stewardship and donor relations using technology.

MY 9 STEP SOLUTION

TO A SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING STRATEGY

1. Assessment

The first step is understanding the current state of the organization. This involves an in-depth assessment of the organization’s mission, vision, programs, operations, and strategic plan. This evaluation should also review the organization’s leadership, governance, financial management, staff capabilities, and other critical areas.

2. THE PLAN

Based on the assessment, develop a fundraising plan that strategically aligns with the organization’s mission and vision. It will address short-term and long-term goals, the steps needed to achieve these goals, and performance metrics to track progress.

3. Fundraising & development strategy

Advise fundraising strategies tailored to the organization’s size, scope, and community. 

4. Board development & governance

Develop strategies to recruit, onboard, engage, and retain effective board members. Also, define and clarify the roles and responsibilities of the board, the relationship between the board and the staff, and the governance policies of the organization.

5. Operational Efficiency

Help the organization streamline its operations, reduce wastage, and improve productivity. This could involve implementing or improving management systems, technology solutions, financial procedures, and other processes.

6. Marketing and Outreach

Support the organization in creating effective marketing and communication strategies to raise awareness, engage stakeholders, and attract donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries.

7. Performance Measurement

Develop systems to measure and evaluate the organization’s performance against its goals. Regularly monitor these metrics and adjust strategies as needed.

8. Capacity building

Supporting organizations in building their internal skills and capabilities to deliver their services more effectively and sustainably

9. Support & Coaching

Provide ongoing support and coaching to the organization’s leadership and staff. This could involve regular check-ins, training sessions, resource sharing, and guidance in problem-solving.

The specific services provided will depend on the needs and capacities of the nonprofit organization. The overall goal of this comprehensive approach is to empower the organization to fulfill its mission effectively and sustainably.

FUNDRAISING ASSESSMENT

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Have you ever launched a fundraising campaign?

“Imagine one-of-a-kind services critical for the care of vulnerable children without a significant, dependable, annual revenue stream. Steffanie Bonner’s development expertise and acumen set the course to stabilize this condition by securing a new, recurrent funding source that exceeded $200,000 a year and reengaging lapsed donors who subsequently increased their giving while she led a successful board capital campaign. Her soft and technical skills have repeatedly positioned similar organizations for meaningful, long-term success. Without a doubt, she moves organizations forward.”

Janice Edmiston

Former Colleague at Child Abuse Network with over 35 years of nonprofit work experience

"Steffanie is a delight to work with.  She is knowledgeable about the requirements for non-profit organizations and very responsive to her clients.  Her ability to synthesize complex concepts into an easy-to-understand format is noteworthy."

Katherine G. Coyle

Partner I Conner Winters

I would definitely trust Steffanie Bonner as a consultant. She has such amazing talent and experience to share.

Katie Sawicki

Director of Development and Operations at Signature Symphony

Steffanie has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Anyone working with her will benefit greatly!

Julie Ryker

Development Specialist I The Salvation Army

Steffanie facilitated a half-day board retreat for our organization, and her guidance was exactly what we needed. As a smaller nonprofit in the process of rebuilding our board, we were looking for clarity, alignment, and renewed energy. Steffanie created a welcoming space, brought everyone into the conversation, and ensured each board member felt engaged and empowered. Her ability to draw out meaningful dialogue and help our board understand how to best support the organization has already made a positive impact. We are incredibly grateful for her expertise and highly recommend her to any organization seeking stronger board cohesion and direction.

Margaret Wish

Fostering Connections

Steffanie Bonner’s support and guidance was essential as I worked through the development of our credit union’s foundation. We were navigating major
structural decisions-especially around whether to establish ourselves as a private foundation or a public charity, and whether the foundation could help support future credit union membership growth.
I wholeheartedly recommend Steffanie to any credit union working to establish or strengthen its foundation. Her knowledge is outstanding-but it’s her steady presence, her ability to anticipate what you need, and her genuine care for her clients that truly set her apart.

Sarah V. Hall

Director, Foundation | WeStreet Credit Union

Steffanie came into the credit union foundation space with a solid background in nonprofit and foundation leadership. Over time, she thoughtfully applied that experience within the credit union environment, taking the initiative to understand regulatory expectations, operational boundaries, and the strategic role a foundation can play in extending a credit union’s mission and community impact. Steffanie is steady, collaborative, and deeply mission-driven. She creates an environment where leaders feel supported and aligned, balancing strategic vision with disciplined execution.
I recommend Steffanie without hesitation to any credit union seeking to establish or strengthen a foundation. She brings nonprofit depth, well-developed credit union expertise, professionalism, and integrity to every engagement.

Michelle Minton

VP of Internal Audit | TTCU Federal Credit Union

Steffanie Bonner, CFRE was involved in building the credit union’s foundation from the ground up including governance, compliance, strategy, and donor engagement.
She has a clear understanding of how a credit union foundation can extend the credit union’s mission and impact while improving the credit union’s brand.

Stephanie Jones

Chief Strategy Officer (Retired)/ TTCU Federal Credit Union

Steffanie partnered with the Tulsa Air and Space Museum (TASM) during our Ascending Together expansion initiative, a major gift campaign centered on the construction of a new aircraft ramp and hangar. From the onset, Steffanie brought a depth and breadth of experience that proved invaluable. She quickly understood both the scope of the project and the culture of our organization. As a strategic thinker, she helped us refine our case for support and articulate a compelling, mission-driven message that resonated with donors and the broader Tulsa community.

Beyond her professional expertise, Steffanie is a collaborative and thoughtful partner. It was truly a pleasure to work alongside her as we advanced our fundraising goals. Her insight, professionalism, and dedication significantly strengthened our campaign efforts.

Tonya Blansett

Executive Director | Tulsa Air and Space Museum

When nonprofit board members step away from their careers and families to participate in the important work of strategic planning, it is essential that their time is invested wisely and leads to meaningful results. In my 20 years of bringing nonprofit boards together for strategic planning retreats, Steffanie Bonner stands out as one of the best facilitators I have worked with. She has a remarkable ability to guide a board through defining its goals while skillfully facilitating a thoughtful and productive strategic planning process. Her experience, tools, and facilitation style brought clarity and focus to our retreat, enabling our board and staff to identify key priorities, clarify objectives, and establish a clear path forward. We left the retreat with actionable next steps, achievable timelines, and a board that felt confident and energized to move the plan into action.

Toni Moore

President & CEO of Philos Hospitality, Inc. / Hospitality House of Tulsa

Steffanie Bonner provided consulting services to us for several months while we were short staffed in fund development. She stepped right in and hit the ground running with a handful of key deliverables, all of which were executed with high quality, service and professionalism. Her expertise in the area of fund development was instrumental to our success during this time.

Nancy Austin

Board Chair / Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma

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“Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.” 

 

– Martin Luther King Jr.